Back to the Future Part III
Does anyone but me remember this movie? Where the unflappable Marty McFly and Doc head back in time a full century to the days of Annie Oakley and wild west gunslinging? For my money it's one of the more underrated third parts of a three-part series, though that may have more to do with other part III movies than anything else... have you seen the Godfather III? The Matrix Revolutions? Ernest Goes to School? {shudders}
Well if you think the idea of time travel is just some fantasy never-to-be-realized, try visiting St. Agatha, a small town in rural Maine... because students there get two weeks vacation in late September so that they can help out with the potato harvest!!! Don't believe me? Visit the district's website and look at the calendar of events in the top right hand corner. Sure enough, right under the "first day of school" on August 16 is listed, "Potato Harvest Break", Sept 20 - Oct 4.
Which, of course, begs the question: what are you going to wear to the potato harvest this year? Ethan's going with overalls, a straw hat, and a stylish cardigan. I'm wearing these with some jeans, a t-shirt.
In all seriousness, when I discovered this interesting event out while talking to Samantha Paradis, a busy and motivated student leader we're lucky to be working with to lead a petition drive in St. Agatha, it reinforced a very important lesson: it's going to take students from all backgrounds to make this movement strong. Too often the education policy circles in Washington, DC focus on issues and politics that affect some of America--often in cities and suburbs--but forget that millions of children go to school in rural towns across the country. Our nation will only go so far as every American child is educated... and so we hope that with the student voice in education reform comes a strong push for improved rural education as well.